Theresa Jane Blakeley, principal of Jersey-based JFA Architects, was removed from the professions official register following a hearing by the ARBs professional conduct committee last week.The panel heard that Blakeley had been convicted in March of breaching the Income Support (Jersey) Law 2007 as well as the countrys common law, and ruled that her behaviour amounted to unacceptable professional conduct.According to the ARB, a police report said that Blakeley completed an online application in 2021 for income support benefit to help with rent payments, and claimed she was paying her 93-year-old mother 1,900 per month rent.AdvertisementHowever, when no such payments were found on bank statements, Blakeley said she was instead deducting the sums from amounts owed to her by the landlord her mother for renovations she was making to the property.But her brother told investigating officers that he had power of attorney for their mother, who was partially sighted and had limited mobility; that no rent had been received since 2009; and that there was no lease agreement or consent for alterations to the home.Police determined an overpayment of income support benefit of 5,740.59.In March this year Blakeley pleaded guilty to two offences of benefit fraud.She was convicted of furnishing false information regarding a tenancy agreement and payment of rent, as well as falsely claiming rent monies had been paid.Magistrates sentenced her to eight months imprisonment or 140 hours of community service.AdvertisementThe ARB was notified of the conviction by an anonymous source and opened an investigation.Blakeley accepted that she had pleaded guilty and not sought to appeal the conviction.While she admitted the convictions brought her personal reputation into disrepute, she denied that the reputation of the wider profession had been adversely affected.However, the committee declared itself satisfied that the convictions were materially relevant to fitness to practise as an architect.It added that a local news story about the convictions was available via the internet and ruled the reputation of the wider profession had been brought into disrepute.Public confidence in the profession would be undermined if there was no finding that the convictions were materially relevant to fitness to practise, it said.It concluded that her conduct was so serious that only removal from the register will protect the public, uphold professional standards and maintain public confidence in the profession.Blakeley was a council member at the Association of Jersey Architects from 2020 to 2023. She has been contacted for comment.2024-11-26Greg Pitchercomment and share